Separating tank



Aug. 13, 1940. R. w. SELF I SEPARATING TANK Filed Sept. 7, 1937 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 13, 1940.

R. W. SELF v SEPARATING TANK Patented Aug. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES POFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a separating tank particularly designed forthe purpose of separating water and foreign matter from oil.

The tank has been particularly designed for receiving crude oil as itcomes from the well and for separating therefrom the water and otherimpurities and taking off the clean oil, and the water and impurities,separately from the tank.

It is another object of the invention to provide a separating tank ofthe character described that is compactly constructed so that it may bereadily transported from place toplace.

A further object of the invention resides in a novel arrangement forheating the crude oil in the process of separation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel arrangementfor taking care of an excess flow of oil or gas, due to gas pressure inthe well.

It is still another object of the invention to provide novel means forremoving the sediment that may collect in the delivery tube.

With the above and other objects in View the invention has particularrelation to certain novel features of construction, operation andarrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specificationand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a vertical, sectional view of the tank.

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1,and

Figure 4 shows a side elevation of the complete tank, partly brokenaway.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals ofreference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral 1designates the outer shell, which is preferably cylindrical in form andcomposed of sheet metal. The shell has the usual cover 2 and also hasthe spaced transverse upper and a lower partitions 3 and 4 anchoredtherein and formed of foraminated material. The chamber of the shell andis connected into the top portion of the tank by the overflow pipe 9.The crude oil coming from the well enters the upper end of the deliverytube through the inlet line Ill. The lower end of the delivery tube isequipped with a discharge nozzle formed of the perforated nozzle pipe Il and the tubular side arms l2, l2, said side arms being connected intothe nozzle pipe at one end and into the lower end of the tube 8 at theirother ends. The discharge nozzle thus forms a loop, as more clearlyshown in Figure 1.

Extended transversely through the tank and through said loop there is aU-shaped flue Ill. The side arms of this flue are anchored to the plate14 which, in turn, is bolted to the laterally extending hood I5 intowhich the shell is formed. One end of the flue is equipped with anyconventional type of fuel burner It, as shown in Figure 2. The other endof the flue is detachably connected to an elbow l! which leads inwardlythrough the wall of the shell above the plate M and is upwardly turnedforming an outlet stack l8 which extends through the closure plate 811and on up axially through the delivery tube 8 and terminates above saidtubing and is provided with a protecting hood lBa. The upper end of thedelivery tube has an inwardly turned flange 8b to which the stack 18 maybe welded or otherwise secured. The heat from the stack l8 may be thusutilized in heating the crude oil flowing downwardly through thedelivery tube 8.

The crude oil entering the tube 8 will flow downwardly therethrough bygravity and pass outwardly through the side arms [2 and will be in partbroken up by the nozzle 1 I so as to cause a partial separation of theoil and water. The liquid will be additionally heated by contact withthe flue l3 furthering the process of separation and the oil will risepassing up through the foraminated partitions 3 and 4 and through thefiltering material, the water condensing in said filtering material anddropping back and thus being separated from the oil. This water may bedrained off through the drain pipes H9 or l9a, which may be suitablyvalve controlled if desired. The oil will'rise to the top of the tankand may be led off through the discharge pipe 20. The bottom of the tankis provided with a clean out opening 2| normally closed by the closureplate 22, and sediment may be drained off from the bottom of thedelivery tube 8 through the drain line 23 whose outer end is equippedwith a drain valve 24.

In case the well from which the crude oil is flowing is subject to gaspressure and an unusual surge occurs, the excess oil or gas deliveredthrough the pipe ID will pass through the overflow pipe 9 into the topchamber of the tank and this chamber is vented with a suitable reliefvalve 25 for the relief of excess gas pressure.

The inlet line 26 to the burner is controlled by a suitable inlet valve21 which in turn is controlled by a regulating mechanism 28. Thisregulating mechanism is operated by a suitable thermostat 29 inaccordance with the heat of the liquid in the shell. A pilot line leadsfrom the fuel line 26 into the outer end of the flue l3 adjacent theburner I6. Side arms of the flue I3 are welded or otherwise secured tothe plate [4 so as to form tight joints therewith and the stack I8 iswelded or otherwise secured to the plate 8a to form a fluid tight jointtherewith. If it be desired to remove the flue I3, the bolts securingthe flange M in place may be removed and the connection between theelbow l1 and the flue disconnected and the plate M and flue [3 may thenbe removed as a unit.

The delivery tube 8 is provided with an additional connection I Ga forthe connection of an additional inlet line thereto, if desired. Thisconnection Illa, when not in use, is closed by the plug 3!.

The drawings and description disclose what is now considered to be apreferred. form of the invention by way of illustration only, while thebroad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A separating tank comprising an outer shell, a delivery tubedepending into said shell and whose upper end extends upwardly above theshell, a nozzle connected to the lower end of the tube, an inlet lineentering the upper end of the delivery tube, a U-shaped flue extendingtransversely across the lower end of the shell and whose outer ends areexposed, a fuel burner at one end of the flue and an outlet pipe for theproducts of combustion leading upwardly through the delivery tube fromthe other end of the flue, a drain pipe leading out from the lower endof the shell and a discharge pipe leading out from the upper end of theshell.

2. A separating tank comprising an outer shell, a delivery tubedepending into said shell and whose upper end extends upwardly above theshell, a nozzle connected to the lower end of the tube, an inlet lineentering the upper end of the delivery tube, a U-shaped flue extendingtransversely across the lower end of the shell and whose outer ends areexposed, a fuel burner at one end of the flue and an outlet pipe for theproducts of combustion leading upwardly through the delivery tube fromthe other end of the flue. a drain pipe leading out from the lower endof the shell and a discharge pipe leading out from the upper end of theshell, an overflow pipe leading from the upper end of the delivery tubeand connected into the top of the shell.

3. A separating tank comprising an outer shell, a delivery tube anchoredto the top of the shell and depending downwardly into the shell, adischarge nozzle connected to the delivery tube, a delivery pipe fordelivering crude oil into said tube, a valve controlled drain lineleading out from the bottom of the delivery tube, a flue in the bottomof the shell, an outlet stack connected with the flue and leadingupwardly through the delivery tube, and a burner associated with saidflue.

4. A separating tank comprising an outer shell, a delivery tube anchoredto the top of the shell and depending downwardly into the shell, adischarge nozzle connected to the delivery tube, a delivery pipe fordelivering crude oil into said tube, a valve controlled drain lineleading out from the bottom of the delivery tube, a flue in the bottomof the shell, an outlet stack connected with the flue and leadingupwardly through the delivery tube, a burner associated with said flue,said shell having a discharge outlet at its lower end and a deliveryoutlet at its upper end.

5. A separating tank comprising an outer shell, a delivery tube anchoredto the top of the shell and depending downwardly into the shell, 2.discharge nozzle connected to the delivery tube, a delivery pipe fordelivering crude oil into said tube, a valve controlled drain lineleading out from the bottom of the delivery tube, a flue in the bottomof the shell, an outlet stack connected with the flue and leadingupwardly through the delivery tube, a burner associated with said flue,said shell having a relief outlet valve at its upper end and an overflowpipe leading from the top of the tube and terminating in the top of theshell.

6. A separating tank comprising an outer shell, a transverse flue, avertical flue in the shell extending above the shell, said transverseflue terminating in the vertical flue, a delivery tube around thevertical flue extending above the shell, a discharge nozzle connected tothe lower end of said delivery tube, an inlet connection to saiddelivery tube, an overflow connection from the delivery tube above theshell to the top of the shell, a discharge outlet connection at theupper portion of the shell and a drain connection to the bottom of thejacket.

7. In a separating tank, a shell, a removable plate connected thereto, atransverse flue connected to said removable plate, a burner connected toone end of the flue, a vertical flue in the shell, the other end of thetransverse flue being connected to the vertical flue, a delivery tubearound the vertical flue, an inlet connection to the delivery tube, saidtransverse flue being removable with the plate, and a discharge conduitand an inlet conduit connected to the shell.

8. In a separating tank comprising an outer shell having a closedchamber therein, a tube for the delivery of untreated fluid to thechamher, a heating flue in said chamber, an outlet flue leading from theheating flue and through the delivery tube, a burner associated with theheating flue, a discharge outlet conduit and a drain conduit connectedto the shell.

RANDALL W. SELF.

